The trailer for Brent Spiner returns as a new character, possibly another iteration of the Soong dynasty. Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine and Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker are back as well.
The Star Trek: Picard season 3 trailer that debuted on Star Trek Day showed a Starfleet facility being destroyed in the middle of a city. It's a sight reminiscent of Star Trek Into Darkness' beginning when Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) posed as John Harrison and masterminded the destruction of the Kelvin Memorial Archive in London. Not long after, Khan piloted a spacecraft and wantonly opened fire on Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco during a high-level meeting. iral Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) was killed in the attack. Star Trek: Picard season 3 appears to have its own version of those shocking moments from Star Trek Into Darkness, although there's no telling yet who is killed when the Starfleet building is destroyed. But once again, a brutal act of terrorism forces iral Picard to respond, but this time, by reassembling his trusted friends from the USS Enterprise-D and E.
Star Trek: Picard's Backstory Also Involved A Terrorist Attack
Star Trek: Picard is no stranger to using terrorist acts of mass destruction as the springboard for its season-long arcs. Star Trek: Picard season 1's drama involving the Romulan Zhat Vash was built upon an android attack on Mars in 2285. Taking place on First Day, a group of androids went rogue and destroyed the Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards, setting fire to Mars and killing over 90,000 innocent people. The fallout of the Mars attack was depicted in "Children of Mars," one of the best of the Short Treks. Jean-Luc Picard then got personally involved when Dahj Asha (Isa Briones) came to him for help, and she was murdered in front of the iral's eyes by Zhat Vash shock troopers.
It's not surprising that Star Trek: Picard would go back to the well with another, similar terrorist attack in season 3. However, Star Trek: Picard season 3's showrunner cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, bracing fans for the possible tragic deaths of one or more beloved TNG icons.
Why Earth Being Attacked In Star Trek Is Still Rare
While brutal acts of violence and terrorism are becoming more frequent in Star Trek, it's still uncommon to see Earth attacked, which is why the destruction in Star Trek Into Darkness remains shocking. In Star Trek's optimistic future, Earth is a paradise, and it's the home base of both Starfleet in San Francisco and the United Federation of Planets in Paris. Designated as Sector 001, Earth is thus well-defended against its enemies and has only been attacked a handful of times. For instance, the Xindi killed 7 million people when it carved a path of destruction from Florida to Venezuela to kick off Earth being victimized in Star Trek is still a rare occurrence, and it doesn't seem like the Terran home world is a target (yet) in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 premieres February 16, 2022, on Paramount+.